1501:31-15-10
Wild turkey regulations.

(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person
to hunt or take wild turkeys at any time except in accordance with this rule or
any provisions of this rule:

(a)
Spring wild
turkey season is open statewide from April 18, 2016 through May
15,
2016.

(b)
Youth spring wild
turkey season is open on April 16 and 17, 2016 for persons holding a valid
youth hunting license and turkey permit. All spring wild turkey season rules
apply to these dates with the following exceptions:

(i)
It shall be unlawful for any youth to
hunt or take more than one wild turkey per day.

(ii)
It shall be unlawful for any youth,
regardless of age, who participates in the youth spring wild turkey season to
hunt if they are not accompanied by a non-hunting adult eighteen years of age
or older.

(iii)
It shall be
unlawful for a non-hunting adult eighteen years of age or older to accompany
more than two persons holding a valid youth hunting license and turkey
permit.

(iv)
It shall be unlawful
for any non-hunting adult eighteen years of age or older who is accompanying
any person holding a valid youth hunting license and turkey permit to hunt or
possess any hunting implements.

(v)
It shall be unlawful for the responsible, non-hunting adult, eighteen years of
age or older, to allow a person holding a valid youth hunting license and
turkey permit to hunt unaccompanied during the youth turkey season.

It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take wild
turkeys with any firearm except:

A shotgun using shot.

(3)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
possess more than one hunting implement, singly or in the aggregate, to include
a firearm, longbow or crossbow while hunting wild turkey.

This paragraph does not prohibit a person from carrying a
concealed firearm under the authority of a valid Ohio concealed carry license
issued pursuant to sections
2923.125 and
2923.1213 of the Revised Code or
a valid conceal carry license from a state with a reciprocity agreement with
Ohio to carry concealed handguns, or who comply with federal legislation HR218,
"The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004."

(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person
during the spring wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any time
other than from one half hour before sunrise to twelve p.m. during the period
of April 18, 2016 through May 1, 2016.

(2)
It shall be unlawful for any person
during the spring wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any time
other than from one half hour before sunrise to sunset during the period of May
2,
2016 through May 15, 2016.

(3)
It shall be unlawful for any person
during the spring youth wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any
time other than from one half hour before sunrise to sunset.

(4)
It shall be unlawful for any person
during the fall wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey at any time
other than from one half hour before sunrise to sunset.

(5)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
hunt or take a wild turkey by the aid of baiting or on or over any baited
area.

(6)
It shall be unlawful for
any person to hunt or take a wild turkey by the use or aid of live birds as
decoys.

(7)
It shall be unlawful
for any person to possess or use any electronic calling device capable of
producing recorded turkey or other wild animal calls or sounds, or recorded
and/or electronically amplified imitations of turkey or other wild animal calls
or sounds, while hunting wild turkey.

(8)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
take a wild turkey when it is in a tree.

(9)
It shall be unlawful for any person
during the spring wild turkey season to hunt or take a wild turkey with the aid
of a dog, except wounded wild turkeys may be tracked using a dog that is
leashed.

(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
hunt or take a wild turkey during the spring wild turkey season without
possessing a valid printed spring turkey permit.

(2)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
hunt or take a wild turkey during the fall turkey season without possessing a
valid printed fall turkey permit.

(3)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
possess or use a spring turkey permit or a fall turkey permit of another while
hunting wild turkey.

(4)
It shall
be unlawful for any person, during the spring wild turkey season, to hunt or
take wild turkey or aid another person in the hunting or taking of wild turkey,
while having in their possession a hunting implement, while being solely in
possession of a spring turkey permit for which a game check confirmation number
has been issued or the associated game tag has been validated.

(5)
It shall be unlawful for any person,
during the fall wild turkey season, to hunt or take wild turkey or aid another
person in the hunting or taking of wild turkey, while having in their
possession a hunting implement, while being solely in possession of a fall
turkey permit for which a game check confirmation number has been issued or the
associated game tag has been validated.

(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person
required to have a turkey permit under section
1533.11 of the Revised Code,
after having killed a turkey, to fail to immediately attach a validated game
tag to the dead turkey at the place where the turkey fell. Persons covered by
this section shall provide their own game tag. A game tag is considered
validated when the hunter has written on the tag, legibly in the English
language, their name, the date, time, and county of kill and also written in
the spaces provided on the corresponding turkey permit.

(2)
It shall be unlawful for any person
exempt from having a turkey permit under section
1533.11 of the Revised Code, to
fail to immediately attach a valid game tag to the dead turkey at the place
where the turkey fell. Persons covered by this section shall provide their own
game tag. Such game tag is considered valid when the hunter has written on the
tag, legibly in the English language their full name, the date, time and county
of kill.

(3)
It shall be unlawful
to remove a game tag from any turkey until the turkey has been game checked and
a valid game check confirmation number has been affixed to the
turkey.

(4)
It shall be unlawful
for any person to attach a game tag to any wild turkey which was taken by
another person.

(5)
It shall be
unlawful to attach a game check confirmation number to a turkey or parts
thereof taken by another person.

(6)
It shall be unlawful to attach a game tag
associated with or use a turkey permit on or for any turkey that was taken
before the permit was purchased or otherwise obtained.

(7)
It shall be unlawful to manufacture,
counterfeit, sell, trade, distribute, forge and/or falsify a turkey permit or
game tag for a turkey.

(8)
It shall
be unlawful to manufacture, counterfeit, sell, trade distribute, forge and/or
falsify a game check confirmation number for a turkey.

(9)
It shall be unlawful to possess, attach,
affix or otherwise use a counterfeit or falsified turkey permit or game tag on
or for any turkey.

(10)
It shall be
unlawful to possess, attach, affix or otherwise use a counterfeit or falsified
game check confirmation number on or for any turkey.

(11)
It shall be unlawful to possess any
turkey, or part thereof, which has attached or affixed a counterfeit or
otherwise falsified game tag.

(12)
It shall be unlawful to possess any turkey, or part thereof, which has attached
or affixed a counterfeit or otherwise falsified game check confirmation
number.

(13)
It shall be unlawful
to attach a game tag from an invalid or voided turkey permit to any turkey. A
turkey permit is void after it has been used to game check a turkey.

(14)
It shall be unlawful to use or attempt
to use an invalid or voided turkey permit to obtain a game check confirmation
number through the game check process.

(15)
It shall be unlawful to attach, affix or
otherwise use a game check confirmation number for a turkey, or parts thereof,
other than for the turkey the game check confirmation number was issued to at
the time of game checking.

(16)
It
shall be unlawful for any person to leave the state of Ohio with a turkey that
was taken by hunting that has not been game checked and the game check
confirmation number permanently attached.

(17)
It shall be unlawful to attach a game
check confirmation number from a spring wild turkey permit to a wild turkey
taken during the fall wild turkey season.

(18)
It shall be unlawful to attach a game
check confirmation number from a fall wild turkey permit to a wild turkey taken
during the spring wild turkey season.

(19)
It shall be unlawful to remove the feet,
beard and feathers of a turkey until the turkey has been game checked and
tagged with a valid game check confirmation number. It shall be lawful to
eviscerate or field dress the turkey prior to game checking and attaching the
game check confirmation number.

(20)
It shall be unlawful for each person who
kills a wild turkey to fail to game check and permanently attach the game check
confirmation number to the turkey, regardless of the season, by eleven-thirty
p.m. on the same day the wild turkey is killed.

(21)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
fail to immediately and permanently attach their valid game check confirmation
number to the turkey after it as been game checked. A game check confirmation
number is valid when the owner has attached their division of wildlife game
check confirmation number to the turkey. Writing the game check confirmation
number on the existing game tag will validate the game check process.

(22)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
possess a wild turkey or parts thereof unless such person has a tag, seal,
certificate, permanent tag number, game check confirmation number or license
showing the turkey or parts thereof were taken or acquired legally.

(23)
It shall be unlawful to provide any
false information or data when game checking any turkey.

(24)
It shall be unlawful at any time to
possess a wild turkey or wild turkey parts that were taken in violation of any
Administrative Code rule or the Ohio Revised Code.

(25)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
possess a dead wild turkey, or any part thereof, unless such wild turkey, or
parts thereof, are accompanied by an attached valid tag, game check
confirmation number, seal, certificate of legal ownership, statement or
receipt. For the purposes of this section a valid tag, seal, permanent tag
number, game check confirmation number, certificate for legal ownership,
statement or receipt for any wild turkey, or part thereof, is any one or more
of the following:

(b)
An Ohio division of wildlife tag or seal
approved under the authority of section
1533.74 of the Revised Code if
the wild turkey or parts thereof were sold for food.

(c)
A signed statement or receipt, legible in
the English language, which states the previous owners name, address and phone
number and the valid commercial propagation permit number if the wild turkey or
parts thereof were sold or given away under the authority of section
1533.71 of the Revised
Code.

(d)
A tag or certificate as
described in section 1533.731 of the Revised
Code.

(e)
A signed statement or
receipt, legible in the English language, which lists the owner or previous
owners name, address and phone number, the state and county of kill, the date
of kill and the assigned permanent wild turkey tag number or game check
confirmation number, if applicable.

(f)
An official tag, seal or other official
documentation to show legal ownership and an accompanying valid hunting license
issued by another state or province if the wild turkey was killed outside of
Ohio.

(g)
A certificate for legal
ownership issued by a law enforcement officer within their
jurisdiction.

(h)
A valid tag,
seal, permanent tag number, game check confirmation number, certificate for
legal ownership, statement or receipt for the purposes of this rule is
considered attached if it is physically affixed to the wild turkey, or parts
thereof, in the following manner:

(i)
The
valid tag, seal, permanent tag number, game check confirmation number,
certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt must remain attached to
the wild turkey until the wild turkey has been processed into a taxidermy
product. At this time the valid tag, seal, permanent tag number, game check
confirmation number, certificate for legal ownership, statement or receipt may
be removed from the wild turkey and placed in another location on the taxidermy
product which allows for visual inspection. However the tag, permanent tag
number, game check confirmation number, seal, certificate for legal ownership,
statement or receipt must remain affixed permanently to the taxidermy
product.

(ii)
If through the
butchering process one or more packages of meat are produced the tag, game
check confirmation number, seal, certificate for legal ownership, statement or
receipt shall be maintained and available for inspection until the entire wild
turkey is consumed.

(26)
It shall be unlawful for any person to
place or leave a wild turkey, or any part thereof, in the custody of another
person for the purpose of skinning, processing, taxidermy, transportation,
shipping, storage, including temporary storage, or any other reason, unless
such wild turkey or parts thereof are accompanied by an attached valid tag,
permanent tag number, game check confirmation number, seal, certificate for
legal ownership, statement or receipt.

It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, sell or offer for
sale any wild turkey, or part thereof, taken from the wild, except:

(1)
Legally acquired and possessed turkey
feathers, bones, spurs, feet, skin and beards may be bought and sold at any
time individually or as a wildlife ornamental product by the legal
owner.

(2)
Wild turkey taxidermy
products may be bought or sold at any time. At the time of the purchase or sale
the taxidermy product must be accompanied by a signed statement or receipt,
legible in the English language, which lists the previous owner's name, address
and phone number, the state of kill(s) and the assigned tag, game check
confirmation number, seal, certificate for legal ownership or permit number(s),
if applicable, and the number of wild turkey, from which the said wild turkey
parts originated, that were sold during the transaction. This information must
remain with the taxidermy product unless said product(s) are disassembled and
manufactured into a wildlife ornamental product(s).

It shall be unlawful for any person not possessing a valid
youth hunting license and turkey permit to hunt or take a wild turkey during
the spring or fall wild turkey season on any area designated youth hunting
only.

(I)
All definitions
set forth in rule
1501:31-1-02 of the
Administrative Code shall apply to this rule.